Munich-based company Toposens GmbH is unveiling an innovative 3D sensor at CeBIT in Hannover that’s the first of its kind to record 3D structures in real time based purely on ultrasound.

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Today, seemingly omnipotent mega-corporations battle on the global stage for the crown of technological superiority, their onslaught directed from superbly equipped development labs that even James Bond’s famous quartermaster "Q" could only dream of. So is there still space for tinkerers, researchers and inventors with small budgets but big ideas for groundbreaking developments? There certainly seem to be niches that creative thinkers can still dive into to make a big splash. At least, that’s what one Munich-based startup thinks – so, rather than trying to improve on the tried-and-tested, it focuses on creating new, pioneering technologies with the ‘X factor’ to dazzle the market. Toposens GmbH is unveiling an innovative 3D sensor at CeBIT 2016 in Hannover that is the first of its kind to record 3D structures in real time based purely on ultrasound.

The 3D sensor system developed by Toposens works in a similar way to the echo location used by bats. It sends out an ultrasonic signal and uses a sensor to record exactly how long it takes the signal to reach surrounding objects and travel back. It then uses this information to compile a complete three-dimensional picture in real time. Despite its mighty performance, the sensor is much smaller than all previous systems – it is also more robust, more energy efficient and far cheaper. Thanks to these properties, the diminutive 3D ultrasound scanner is a very promising solution for the "Internet of Things" (IoT) and also has a huge range of potential applications in indoor navigation, the automotive industry, robotics and home entertainment. During CeBIT, Toposens is offering a development kit comprising various interfaces and software applications that simplify interaction with the 3D system so as to make designing prototypes as easy as possible.